Collapsible shoe boxes



May 13, 1958 c. A. LEE, JR., ETAL 2,834,460

COLLAPSIBLE SHOE BOXES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March l1, 1955 IN VEN TORS l/Aufs 4I 5.5; di?.

`ATTORNEYS.

,May 13, 1958 c. A. LEE, JR., ET AL 2,834,460

COLLAPSIBLE SHOE BOXES Filed March 1l, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nited States COLLAPSIBLE SHOE BOXES Charles A. Lee, Jr., and Robert D. Weyman, Middletown, h10, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Diamond Gardner Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 11, 1955, Serial No. 493,740 6 claims. (ci. 20s-65) Our invention relates to shoe `boxes and more particularly to collapsible shoe boxes which may be 'readily .arent Yet a further object of our invention' is the provision of a knocked down or collapsible shoe box structure incorporating an integral divider serving to divide the interror of the box into two compartments to receive the shoes packaged therein.

Yet a further object of our invention is the provision of a shoe box package incorporating a carrying handle detachably secured to an interior wall of the package, the shoes being packed in such fashion that-'the left shoe, which is usually not withdrawn from the box during tting, protects the handle element from accidental disengagement until such time it is desired to remove the handle and associate it with the box structure for carrying purposes.

Yet another object of our invention is the provision of a shoe box package which eliminates entirely the use of tissue paper for preventing the shoes from rubbing against each other, or which requires that only one of the shoes be wrapped in tissue paper as opposed tothe complete wrapping of both shoes as heretofore practiced.

These as well as other objects of our invention which will hereinafter appear or whichV will be apparent to the skilled worker in the art upon reading these specications, we accomplish by those constructions and arrangements of parts of which we shall now describe certain exemplary embodiments.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a box blank in accordance with our invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view with parts broken away and others in dotted lines showing the box of Figure 1 in erected and filled condition.

Figure 3v is an end elevational view of the filled box illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure4 is a plan View with parts broken away similar to Figure 2 but showing one of the shoes partially removed from the box.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the erected box illustrating the carrying handle in carrying position. p

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of blank in accordance with our invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan View of yet ano-ther form of blank in accordance with our invention.

Figure 8 is a plan View of yet another form of blank incorporating an integral divider.

Patented May 13, 1958 Figure 9,-s a plan view similar to Figure 8 showing the blank in tubed condition.

Figure 10 is a sectional view with parts somewhat` expanded taken along the line 10-10 of Figure 9. r

Figure l1 is a sectional view similar to Figure l0 showing the blank in erected condition.

Figure 12 is a plan view `of a handle element suitable for use with the blank of Figure 8.

Figure 13 .is a sectional View similar to Fig/ure 11 but showing the box with the contents in place therein.

Figure 14 is a partial perspective View of the erected and filled box.

Referring first to Figure 1, We have therein illustrated a box blank comprising 'body walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 in articulation in the `order named, the body wall 4 carrying a glue ap 5 on its free side edge. A handle strap 6 is integrally formed with the glue flap 5 and severably connected thereto along the cut score line 7. The handle strap 6 is provided with enlarged ends 8 and 9 which are adapted, when the handle strap is detached from the glue flap, to be engaged through the generally U-shaped cutouts 10 and 11 in the body wall 3.

End closure flaps are provided at the ends of the body walls. It will be understood that the type `of closure flaps employed do not constitute a limitation o n our invention, although tuck-in flaps are preferred so that the carton may be readily opened. In the embodiment illustrated the body walls 1 and 3 are provided with intermediate closure flaps 12 and 13 at one end and the body wall 2 is provided with a full width closure flap 14 carrying a tuck liap 15. At the opposite end of the carton, the body Walls 1 and 3 are provided with narrow closure flaps 16 and 17, respectively, and the body wall 4 carries a full width closure ap 18 having a tuck tlap 19. The carton will be preferably opened from the end last described and to facilitate its opening the body wall 2 is cut back at its end, as at 20, to facilitate the removal of the tuck Hap 19.

The carton blank will beV tubed in conventional fashion, being infolded along the lines of articulation separating the body walls 1 and 2, and 3 and 4, thereby bringing the outermost edge of the body wall 1 in overlying contact with the glue tlap 5. A stripe of adhesive, indicated at 21, will be applied to the marginal edge of body wall 1, or in the alternative the adhesive stripe will be applied to the outer surface of the glue flap 5, care being taken in either event to prevent the adhesive from contacting the handle strap 6. When the structure is tubed, the handle strap 6 will lie along the inner surface of the body wall 1, in the position best seen in Figures 2 and 3. In this connection, it will be noted that the handle strap is articulated to Ithe end of the glue flap 5 adjacent the front end of the carton, i. e. the end which is designed to be readily opened, thereby making it easily accessible when it is desired to detach the handle strap for use.

In packing shoes intov the carton just described, the carton will be erected and the closure flaps of the rear end of the carton closed, whereupon the left shoe, indicated at 22, will be Wrapped in tissue paper 23 or other similar wrapping material and inserted into the carton heel rst with the bottom of the shoe adjacent the bodyV wall 1, in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. It will be understood that the shoe will be inserted from the front end of the carton. When this is done, it will be apparent that the sole of the shoe Will overlie and contact the handle strap 6, thereby serving to protect it and prevent its accidental disengagement. Subsequent to the positioning of the left shoe, the right shoe, indicated at 24, will be inserted toe first with its bottom contacting the opposite wall 3 of the carton. Due to their general shape, the shoes will nest together in the manner illuslthe detachable handle strap 6.

trated, thereby substantially filling the rectangular area of the box. Since the sole purpose of wrapping shoes in tissue paper is to prevent them from scuffing against each other, the tissue paper may be eliminated-completely from the right shoe 24, the tissue paper surrounding the left shoe serving effectively to prevent the twofroin rubbing together.

Since in fitting a customer with a pair of shoes, it is customary for the clerk to try on only the right shoe, it is a simple matter for the clerk to open the shoe box and remove the exposed land unwrapped right shoe 24. To do this, the box need not even be removed from the shelf. As illustrated in Figure 4, the removal of the right shoe in no way affects the left shoe which remains wrapped in the box and in a position in which it covers and protects If the particular shoe selected is not satisfactory to the purchaser, it may be conveniently returned to the box and the end closure aps reinserted. On the other hand, if a sale is made, it is customary for the clark to also fit the left shoe, in which event the entire box may be removed from the shelf and the left shoe 23 removed and unwrapped. Even if the left shoe is not fitted on the customer, it may be readily removed so as to expose the handle strap, whereupon the clerk may easily remove the handle strap by breaking it away from the glue flap 5 whereupon it may be tted through the cutouts and 11 in the body wall 3, and the package readied for the customer to carry home, the box thereupon assuming the condition illustrated in Figure 5.

While the handle member could be attached to the box in the position illustrated in Figure 5 at the factory, this has been found undesirable because it impedes the stacking and handling of the shoe boxes, the handles having a tendency to become engaged with other objects, which is an undesirable condition. Too, there are instances wherein the handle is not required, in which event it need not be removed from its position inside the box. Similarly, it has been found undesirable to provide the handles as separate elements apart from the box since the shoe store personnel does not like to search for a handle when one is desired and the maintenance of a separate supply of handles becomes a nuisance. With our construction, Aall of these difficulties are eliminated land the handle is always ready and available for use when needed.

Furthermore, the arrangement facilitates the shipping and storage of the boxes since additional space need not be provided for separate handle elements.

In Figure 6 we have illustrated an alternative arrangement wherein the handle element 6 is formed apartfrom y the carton blank but is associated with the blank prior to its tubing, being detachably secured to the body wall 1 as by means of a removable staple 25. Similarly, as seen in Figure 7, the handle strap may be detachably secured to the inner surface of the body wall 1 as by means of strips of pressure sensitive tape 26 and 27 or other similar material. As yet another alternative, a small spot of adhesive may be applied directly to the handle strap for securing it to the wall of the box. In all cases, however, the handle will be held in position until it is positively removed for use.

Referring now to Figure 8 of the drawings, we have therein illustrated a blank comprising body walls 30, 31, 32 and 33 in articulation in the order named and a glue flap 34 to which is articulated an integral internal divider 3S. This divider will be preferably traversed by a plurality of spaced apart parallel score lines 36 acting to weaken the divider and render it readily flexible. Full width end closure flaps 37 and 38 are provided at opposite ends of the body wall 32 and these end closure flaps carry tuck flaps 39 and 40 respectively. At the end of the body walls which is to be the rear of the carton, the body walls 31 and 33 are provided with interlocking closure flaps 41 and 42, whereas at their opposite ends these body walls are provided with narrow closure flaps 43 and 44. The

narrow body wall 31 is provided with U-shaped lines of cut 45 and 46 for receiving the ends of the handle strap 6, which in this case are provided with articulated wing portions 47 and 48, as best seen inFigure l2. The handle strap 6 is adhesively secured, as by means of a spot of adhesive 49, to the inner surface of the body wall 33.

The blank will be tubed in conventional manner with the free edge portion of the body wall 30 adhesively secured to the glue flap 34, the divider 35 extending inwardly and overlying body walls 33 and 32. The joint width of the glue ap 34 and the divider 35 will be such that upon erection of the carton body' walls to the position illustrated in Figure l1, the divider will bow upwardly, i. e. toward the body walls 30 and 31, in the manner illustrated. The adhesive securement of the glue flap 35 to the outer edge of the body wall 30, together with the score lines 36 in the divider, tend to deect or bow the divider in the direction indicated rather than in the opposite direction. The bowing of the divider in this fashion is desirable since it initially makes the cell 49 effectively larger than the `cell 50, thereby facilitating the entry of the left shoe 51 which enters the box heel first. The relatively narrow toe of the right shoe 52 may be then inserted in the smaller cell 50, the act of inserting the right shoe 52 serving to ex the divider 35 so that its ultimate position will be determined by the contour of the shoes, the divider assuming a position such as that illustrated in Figure 13. The score lines 36 in the divider facilitate its flexing to conform to the contour of the shoes.

ln the embodiment just described, it will again be noted that the bottom of the left shoe S1 overlies and protects the removable handle strap 6. ln addition, the divider effectively prevents the shoes from rubbing against each other and consequently the tissue paper wrapping for the left shoe may be omitted.

it will be apparent that modifications may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit of it. Having, however, described our invention in certain exemplary embodiments, what we desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. ln a package comprising a collapsible paperboard box having a tubular body and end closure flaps and a pair of shoes contained in said box, a flat self-sustaining handle element detachably secured to the inner surface of one of the box body walls, said shoes being arranged in the box with the sole of one of said shoes juxtaposed to said handle element, whereby said last named shoe will overlie and protect said handle element from accidental disengagement, one of the body walls including means contactable from the exterior surface thereof for receiving the handle element in package carrying position upon its removal from the interior of the box and the engagement of the ends thereof with said handle receiving means.

2. 1n a package comprising a collapsible paperboard box having a tubular body and end closure aps defining the front and rear of said box and a pair of shoes contained in said box, a flat self-sustaining handle element detachably secured to the inner surface of one of the body walls adjacent the front of the box, said shoes being arranged in the box with the toe of the left shoe at the front of the box with the sole of the left shoe contacting the wall of the box to which said handle element is secured, the right shoe being arranged in the 'nox with its heel to the front of the box and its sole contacting the wall of the box opposite the wall to which said handle element is secured, one of the box body walls including external means for receiving the handle clement in package carrying position upon its removal from the interior of the box and the interengagement of the ends thereof with said handle receiving means.

3. The package claimed in claim 2 wherein said left shoe only is wrapped in tissue paper.

4. The package claimed in claim 2 wherein said box body is formed with an interior glue ap, and wherein said handle element is formed as an integral extensie detachably secured to the free side edge of said glue flap. V

5. The package claimed in claim 2 wherein said box body is formed with an interior glue ap, and wherein a partition element is articulated to the free side edge of said glue ap, `said partition element being of a Width suicient to extend diagonally across said box to define two cells into which the individual shoes are received.

6. The package claimed in claim 5 wherein said partition element has a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart lines of score therein to permit exing of the partition element to follow the contour of the shoes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Currivan June 23, Wordingham Mar. 30, Hellweg Apr. 20, Lengseld Nov. 19, Sewert May 3, Bergstein July 14, Thoma May 15, Weiner Aug. 28, Layne Nov. 27,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 24, 

